Lee Ashcroft: ‘Dunfermline can hold their own in SPFL Championship – but must get ‘finger out’ now’

LEE Ashcroft insists Dunfermline can hold their own in the Championship – but need to get their ‘fingers out now’.

The League One champions appear to have struggled with the step-up and sit rooted in third-bottom with just two league victories all season after Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Hibs.

The Pars have won just one of their last nine league games but Ashcroft insists they still believe they can match the other teams in the division.

The former Kilmarnock defender diverted in James Keatings’ shot to gift Hibs an equaliser at the weekend and then conceded a penalty to allow the Easter Road outfit to take the lead.

However, as they prepare to face Dumbarton – the team they defeated 4-3 on the opening weekend of the campaign – the 23-year-old is hopeful of a change in fortunes.

He said: “Hibs are favourites to win the league and we more than matched them in that first half.

“We know ourselves that we are more than capable of matching the other teams in the league because we have played them all.

“We need to get our finger out now and start picking up points.

FANS

“We play Dumbarton and we have already beaten them this season. Hopefully that can start a run for us – I think we are due one.

“We need to get the finger out for the fans, get some wins for them and start climbing up that table.

“We are letting the fans down. We can’t keep saying that we are going to go and get results, we need to start doing it on Saturday.”

And, after being involved in both of Hibs’ goals, the big stopper possibly has more reason than most for craving three points this weekend.

He added to www.dafc.co.uk: “I need to hold up my hands for the second goal. I don’t think I was in the right position, to be honest, I was caught in two minds as to what to do and I made the wrong decision.

“I will keep my head up and try to make it right next week by taking three points.”